WASHINGTON — Republican Reps. Scott Tipton and Cory Gardner are begging the Postal Regulatory Commission to reconsider its list of potential post office closures since 61 of 71 of those slated to close are in their predominantly rural districts.

“Our constituents are concerned that retail discontinuance of some of these post offices could negatively impact their own businesses, especially during these tough economic times,” Tipton and Gardner’s letter to the Postal Regulatory Commission said. “Additionally, we are concerned that closing certain facilities will lead to costly and time-consuming commutes.”

Tipton and Gardner said they are worried that in the winter residents will be stranded with no post office within reasonable distance.

This summer the US Postal Service announced that it considering shuttering 3,700 post offices as a way to cut costs. Most are in rural districts and Tipton and Gardner are among a long list of Democrats and Republicans who are trying to save the offices in their respective districts.

There are only a few more public meetings left in November in Silver Plume and Parshall, Colorado.

Personally, I would favor subsidizing rural post offices. They represent an economic center for many rural communities such as where I grew up.But isn’t it ironic that these congressman, devout free-market, anti-government Tea Party types are now trying to get us taxpayers to subsidize the post offices that their constituents, who bought all of the GOP baloney nonsense, want? How odd that they are the ones “fighting” for the government to spend more unproductive money. Maybe, Congressmen, you should just tell the farmers and ranchers to just drive to Denver to get their mail. Or they could always set up a private mail delivery service that someone would own and operate for a profit. So what if a letter then costs a net $5 to get delivered to a rural home! It’s free enterprise at work! No government tyranny here!

Of course what the problems with the Postal Service are really result of efforts by the GOP Congress to lay a trap that would result in the layoff of over 100,000 UNION workers, you know, the ones that tend to vote for Democrats? Given the changes in voter laws that the GOP has sought to enact around the country, including my their lackey, Mr. Gessler, our Secretary of State, it is entirely plausible that this has nothing to do with paying for post offices and everything to do with stacking the electoral deck in 2012. Wake up, Colorado! Wake up, America! These people want to steal your political freedoms!

I don’t suppose Tipton or Gardner dug a little deeper to ascertain why the USPS is contemplating closing offices in Silver Plume and Marshall. In addition to being burdened with a rapidly disappearing business model, Congress mandated that the Postal Service some 60 years of future retire benefits in 2006, although that action is not a typical practice in other public sectors or private ones for that matter. Their action seriously impaired the USPS financial resources which wasn’t that good to begin with. Congress contributed to the problem and ought to fix it.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.